Tag Archives: Trump Administration

MSNBC: Tom Homan’s financial ties to private prison locking up immigrants raise questions

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New disclosure forms revealed by The Washington Post show Trump’s border czar was paid thousands of dollars by a company making money from deportations before he joined the administration.

One of the top architects of Donald Trump’s immigration agenda previously received thousands of dollars from a company raking in millions from deportations.

But the White House says that there’s nothing wrong with this situation.

What’s more, border czar Tom Homan is just the most recent official in his administration who we have learned was paid by the private prison company Geo Group in the past. According to federal disclosure forms, Attorney General Pam Bondi previously earned money as a lobbyist for the company in Trump’s first term.

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Geo Group also gave $1 million dollars to the Make America Great Again PAC which backed Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Last year, after Trump was elected, the company’s CEO, Brian Evans, estimated that Geo Group could make an additional $400 million annually as a result of Trump’s planned deportations. And indeed, the company is one of multiple private prison companies making a profit from locking up immigrants for the administration. So much so, that on a conference call earlier this year, the company’s executive chairman said “we’ve never seen anything like this before” while referencing the speed with which the Trump administration has sought to procure contracts with Geo Group.

Tom Homan’s financial ties to private prison locking up immigrants raise questions
New disclosure forms revealed by The Washington Post show Trump’s border czar was paid thousands of dollars by a company making money from deportations before he joined the administration.

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-border-tom-homan-private-prison-immigrants-rcna209544

The Atlantic: The Unconstitutional Conservatives

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Not too long ago, Republicans believed in the rule of law, limiting the power of government, and protecting individual liberty. Then came Donald Trump.

In one of his first official acts, Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, including those convicted of seditious conspiracy.The president and his family are engaging in a level of corruption that was previously unfathomable. And he and his administration have shown no qualms about using the federal government to target private companies, law firms, and universities; suing news organizations for baseless reasons; and ordering criminal probes into former administration officials who criticized Trump.

The Trump administration is a thugocracy, and the Republican Party he controls supports him each step of the way. Almost every principle to which Republicans once professed fealty has been jettisoned. The party is now devoted to the abuse of power and to vengeance.

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The significance of this shift can hardly be overstated. A party that formerly proclaimed allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law, warned about the concentration and abuse of power, and championed virtue, restraint, and moral formation has been transmogrified. The Republican Party now stands for everything it once loathed.

The Unconstitutional Conservatives
Not too long ago, Republicans believed in the rule of law, limiting the power of government, and protecting individual liberty. Then came Donald Trump.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/05/trump-unconstitutional-conservative-republican/682987

Miami Herald: ‘So Many Lies’: Trump Ally Faces Disciplinary Inquiry

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Justice Department official Ed Martin is under investigation by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel in Washington, which handles attorney discipline. His Senate nomination to serve as U.S. attorney in D.C. stalled, prompting him to inform his staff in a farewell email. Martin claims the investigation violates his confidentiality and threatens his professional standing.

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Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups accused him of using prosecutorial threats to intimidate opponents of President Donald Trump and his associates. Trump replaced Martin with former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who has been sworn in as interim U.S. attorney.

Trump also appointed Martin as associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney. Martin will lead a task force investigating the perceived weaponization of federal law enforcement against Trump supporters.

‘So Many Lies’: Trump Ally Faces Disciplinary Inquiry
Justice Department official Ed Martin is under investigation by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel in Washington, which handles attorney discipline. His Senate nomination to serve as U.S. attorney in D.C. stalled, prompting him to inform his staff in a farewell email. Martin claims the investigation violates his confidentiality and threatens his professional standing. Martin hasContinue reading ”‘So Many Lies’: Trump Ally Faces Disciplinary…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/so-many-lies-trump-ally-faces-disciplinary-inquiry/ar-AA1FTb8m

Reuters: US judge blocks Trump from suspending Biden-era migrant ‘parole’ programs

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  • Judge orders resumption of Biden-era parole programs
  • Ruling affects migrants from Afghanistan, Latin America, and Ukraine
  • Trump administration seeks Supreme Court intervention against earlier ruling

A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to resume processing applications from migrants seeking work permits or more lasting immigration status who are living in the country temporarily under “parole” programs.

The ruling by District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston will provide relief to thousands of migrants from Afghanistan, Latin America, and Ukraine who were granted a two-year “parole” to live in the country under programs established by Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration.

The same judge had previously blocked the Trump administration from revoking the parole status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.

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US judge blocks Trump from suspending Biden-era migrant ‘parole’ programs
A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to resume processing applications from migrants seeking work permits or more lasting immigration status who are living in the country temporarily under “parole” programs.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-blocks-trump-halting-biden-era-migrant-parole-programs-2025-05-28

SF Gate: ICE stormed SF court to arrest 4 asylum seekers, denounced as unlawful

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Four asylum seekers were detained by federal agents on Tuesday at San Francisco Immigration Court, a move the Department of Homeland Security has portrayed as part of a broader return to “the rule of law” but that immigration attorneys have called unconstitutional and unprecedented in U.S. history. 

According to the San Francisco Bar Association, the individuals were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in two separate sweeps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, while attending hearings to claim asylum. All four had pending asylum applications.

“It’s a clear violation of the Constitution and due process rights,” Milli Atkinson, an immigration attorney with the SF Bar Association’s Attorney of the Day program, told SFGATE. Association members were at the courthouse when ICE swept in during the morning and were advocating for one of the detainees.

Atkinson added that ICE had already determined at the time of arrest that each individual should pursue asylum before a judge – a legal process outlined by Congress. She argued that the agency is now attempting to reverse course by claiming a change in circumstances, a justification she described as unfounded.

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Under federal law, those eligible for asylum are permitted to stay in the U.S. while their applications are reviewed by an immigration judge. Atkinson said Tuesday’s arrests short-circuited that process. 

ICE stormed SF court to arrest 4 asylum seekers, denounced as unlawful

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/asylum-seekers-arrested-ice-san-francisco-20349387.php

Talking Points Memo: Trump Stonewalls Federal Judges In New Round Of Brazen Defiance

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A Constitutional Clash In Three Acts

In three closely watched anti-immigration cases, the Trump administration continued its slo-mo constitutional defiance of the judicial branch …

Act I: Non-Responsiveness

Act II: Delay Shenanigans

Act III: Misdirection And Mischaracterization

Read the article for the details:

Trump Stonewalls Federal Judges In New Round Of Brazen Defiance
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This…

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo/trump-stonewalls-federal-judges-in-new-round-of-brazen-defiance

Latin Times: Nashville Mayor Responds to DHS Allegations He Put ICE Agents at Risk by Releasing Their Names: ‘The Interest Here Is Just in Transparency’

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Mayor Freddie O’Connell is also under federal investigation for allegedly obstructing the work of ICE agents

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell denied intentionally releasing the names of immigration agents, as alleged by Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration, which claimed the disclosure put agents’ lives at risk.

At a Friday press conference, O’Connell explained that the names were unintentionally included in a report produced under an executive order requiring city employees to notify the mayor’s office of all interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

It’s more a matter of ICE thugs not being able to handle well-deserved examination and criticism:

Unrelated to the name disclosures, O’Connell is now under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following his public condemnation of ICE operations in Nashville earlier this month. In May alone, nearly 200 immigrants were detained, many without criminal records. The mayor called for the release of their names and charges earlier this month.

If ICE thugs can’t handle the heat, ICE thugs should get out of the fire. Better yet, ICE thugs shouldn’t light the fire in the first place.

Nashville Mayor Responds to DHS Allegations He Put ICE Agents at Risk by Releasing Their Names: ‘The Interest Here Is Just in Transparency’
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell denied intentionally including the names of ICE agents in a recently filed report.

https://www.latintimes.com/nashville-mayor-responds-dhs-allegations-put-ice-agents-risk-releasing-names-584109

Miami Herald: GOP Senator Confronts His Party Over Disaster Aid

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Recent tornadoes and severe storms have reportedly caused seven fatalities and over $1.5 billion in damages in Missouri. Sen. Josh Hawley visited the hardest-hit areas in North St. Louis City and called for immediate assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Hawley emphasized the importance of federal aid in supporting recovery efforts in the aftermath of the disaster.

Trump’s administration has proposed shifting disaster response responsibilities to states. FEMA is reportedly undergoing significant changes. This has fueled concerns about delayed or denied aid.

GOP Senator Confronts His Party Over Disaster Aid
More for You

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-senator-confronts-his-party-over-disaster-aid/ss-AA1FSGOd

Rolling Stone: GOP Senator Begs for Disaster Aid as FEMA Snubs Another Red State

Several conservative states have been forced to wait for disaster relief, with lawmakers publicly groveling for federal assistance

Senators grilled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem today over her management of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and how the agency — which President Donald Trump has sought to dismantle — is responding to a series of devastating storms across the southern United States. 

During a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked [Bimbo #2] Noem what she would do about pending federal disaster declaration requests for the state of Missouri — which has been wracked by a series of deadly tornadoes — that have not been approved by the president. Mississippi, which is still recovering from extreme weather events in March, is also waiting for approval on months-old disaster relief declarations. 

“The state has pending three requests for major disaster declarations from earlier storms we’ve lost over a dozen people. Well, actually, if you count the folks we lost just on Friday, we’ve lost almost 20 people now in major storms just in the last two months in Missouri,” Hawley said. 

“Will you commit to helping, for those three major disaster declaration requests that are pending, will you expedite those, Secretary [Bimbo #2] Noem, and get those in front of the president, get those approved?” Hawley asked. “We are desperate for the assistance in Missouri.” 

The response from Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem was more of the customary lip service:

[Bimbo #2] Noem replied that she would make sure the applications were put before Trump as soon as possible, and agreed to expedite individual assistance for qualified Missourians impacted by the recent storms. 

GOP Senator Begs for Disaster Aid as FEMA Snubs Another Red State
Sen. Josh Hawley begged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to help approve FEMA aid for Missouri, after deadly tornadoes struck the state.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/josh-hawley-begs-trump-administration-fema-aid-missouri-1235343815

Independent: Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem demand ICE agents increase arrests to 3,000 per day: report

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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded immigration agents significantly increase daily arrests to 3,000 in a “tense” meeting last week, according to a report.

Miller, President Donald Trump’s top adviser and architect of the administration’s aggressive immigration policies, and Noem told agents they needed to up daily arrests and deportations during the meeting at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. on May 21, according to Axios.

The figure is approximately triple the number of daily arrests that ICE agents were making at the beginning of the Trump administration, the outlet noted.

Ugly is about to get a lot uglier. We must resist this tyranny!

Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem demand ICE agents up arrests to 3,000 a day
The figure is approximately triple the number of daily arrests that ICE agents were making at the beginning of the Trump administration

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/stephen-miller-kristi-noem-ice-arrests-b2759244.html

The Handbasket: State Department set to launch ‘Office of Remigration’

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The concept of remigration has explicitly neo-Nazi roots and has been popularized in Europe.

Secretary Marco Rubio’s State Department published a reorganization chart Thursday morning showing massive cuts to diplomatic offices and functions, plus a few new additions. Rubio’s department also reportedly sent the plan to Congress concurrently. What hasn’t been previously reported is the extensive 136-page document Congress received that includes the more granular details of what the reimagined department would look like— including an “Office of Remigration,” a far-right, anti-immigrant buzzword made popular in Europe for ridding the country of migrants.

Arguably the most alarming piece of the report comes in the section for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The report states that PRM will be “substantially reorganized” and that a number of new offices will be created as part of the absorption of USAID. There will be three new offices under the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Migration Matters, “to shift focus towards supporting the Administration’s efforts to return illegal aliens to their country of origin or legal status.” 

One such office will be the Office of Remigration (REM), which will “provide a policy platform for interagency coordination with DHS and other agencies on removals/repatriations, and for intra-agency policy work to advance the President’s immigration agenda.” There will also be offices of International Migration/Repatriation and Refugee Processing.

Coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) surprised one State Department employee I spoke to who said the people they’ve known to work in PRM are “pretty much the opposite” of those who work for DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

While these plans align with Trump’s open objective of expelling as many migrants from the United States as possible, the use of the word “remigration” is particularly striking as it’s widely used by far-right extremists in Europe. 

…

“All of it is pretty awful with some pieces that definitely violate existing law and treaties,” a person who works closely with the State Department told The Handbasket. “But institutionalizing neo-Nazi theory as an office in the State Department is the most blatantly horrifying.”

State Department set to launch ‘Office of Remigration’

https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/state-department-office-of-remigration